The skier must transport skis either by hand or vehicle or both. Because of the configuration of skis, such transport is frequently cumbersome particularly when skis are carried by the user. Not only are the ski boards lengthy and thereby unwieldy, the edges of the boards are rather sharp and can cause discomfort during physical transporting thereof. Additionally, physical transportion of skis by the user frequently occurs between actual periods of skiing resulting in the skis being snowcovered or wet. Still further, even dry skis can create a problem with clothing in the event the wax used on the skis is transferred to the clothing during transporting of the skis.
The bindings of skis add to the problems of ease of transportation not only because they present projections and sharp edges, but also because their triggering mechanisms must be protected from inadvertent misadjustment conceivably resulting ultimately in a personal safety problem to the user. In order to retain the requisite degree of efficient performance, the bindings should also be protected from contact with road debris when being transported in a conventional rack on a vehicle. Road salt residue if permitted to build up in the binding mechanisms can adversely affect their operation thus presenting another potential threat to the safety of the user.
Various types of ski board and ski binding protective devices in the form of covers or the like have been proposed. Those that fully enclose the ski boards and bindings are often cumbersome to install and remove, are not adapted to ski boards of varying length and are often expensive. Covers for ski bindings alone have also been proposed, but such covers to date have failed to provide the most desirable multiple functions of not only protecting bindings but also facilitating portability and preventing theft.
The present invention, in the form of a ski binder cover, supplies the aforesaid multiple functions in an uncomplicated, cost effective manner. The subject ski carrier utilizes a preferably flexible tubular body adapted to receive the ski bindings therein with the ski boards projecting from opposite open ends of the carrier. One such end of the carrier is of fixed opening size so that only the ski boards may be received therethrough. The size of the opposite end opening is adjustable to facilitate application and removal of the carrier to and from the skis. Ease of application and removal is further enhanced by the provision of a releasable fastener forming a part of the tubular body of the carrier. The fastener as well as other elements of the carrier body provide retention means for a locking mechanism whereby the carrier, including the skis partially covered thereby, may be locked to a fixed base to negate theft thereof. The carrier includes other important features such as a shoulder strap and, preferably, padding which cooperate to facilitate portability. The padding protects the bindings and simultaneously protects the user from the discomfort of sharp edges and projections. Other advantages will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention.